A variety of methods have been utilized to contain volatile materials and permit controlled dispensing of these materials as vapors into the ambient air. The prior art describes in detail the use of permeable membranes, as well as other manners to dispense volatile material from a dispenser. A variety of volatile material dispensers have been designed to be positioned in various open and closed areas, dependent upon the particular need for the dispenser. The prior art also describes manners and devices for displaying the dispensers.
The prior art describes in detail volatile material dispensers that are designed to be affixed to surfaces with adhesives, plugged into electrical wall outlets, hung upon a variety of indoor/outdoor devices such as garbage pails, toilets, and the like. The prior art describes in further detail the use of permeable membranes utilized to dispense a volatile material and be positioned in various positions as described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,095 describes an air treating device in which an operative fluid is evaporated to effect the air treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,121 describes a device for dispensing any one of a wide range of volatile liquids as vapors and comprises a reservoir with an open end closed by a vapor-permeable, liquid-impermeable element. U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,578 describes a volatile material dispenser with a lid laminate that includes a vapor-permeable layer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,047 describes a repositionable device for delivery of volatile materials.
Specific to personal living spaces and professional office settings, there is a desire to make the ambient air more pleasing than it may be due to unpleasant odors that occur for a variety of reasons. There is also a desire for insect and pest control in these spaces and is an ongoing need. The prior art describes many such devices that may be employed for use in these spaces for both air freshening and insect control.
Due to the nature of the problem that is being combated, air treatment/freshening and insect control, there is a societal stigma associated with the presence of such noticeable devices within the personal living spaces and professional office settings where the devices may be employed. An unsightly or clearly identified device is not desirable in such settings. Rather, it is preferable that such a device be decorative and pleasant to the user and, more importantly, to individuals who may frequent the particular settings.
The volatile materials utilized for air freshening and insect repellant purposes often are comprised of destructive chemicals. Such chemicals are not designed for human consumption nor for direct or indirect contact with delicate or fine surfaces. Such chemicals in direct contact are destructive to delicate surfaces, and this is one of the reasons for utilizing a membrane based dispenser. However, the chemicals are diffused into the ambient air and have the potential for direct contact when in a gaseous state. Concentration of the volatile material gases also causes destructive affects to fine surfaces, but it is often necessary to place such dispensers in close proximity to delicate surfaces.
Personal and business settings often contain delicate surfaces. The prior art volatile material dispensers that utilize adhesives to adhere the dispenser to a surface may damage the surface. The surface may be damaged both by the adhesive and the proximity of the volatile material fumes to the delicate surface. Prior art dispensers may cause direct or close contact between a supporting surface and the volatile material emanating surface of the dispenser. This proximity causes marring and alteration of surfaces in a very short period of time. In some cases less than an hour, especially where there is no manner for distancing the emanating surface from the supporting surface.
The prior art does not describe a decorative volatile material dispenser that may be displayed and prominently positioned upon delicate surfaces as well as prevent or impede marring or alteration of the delicate and fine surfaces caused by contact with adhesives or proximity to volatile material fumes. Furthermore, a device that can be vertically or horizontally positioned with great ease while preventing or impeding the alteration of delicate surfaces is desired.
The present invention solves this problem by providing for a decorative volatile material dispenser that prevents unwanted repositioning of the dispenser and prevents damage, or dramatically increases the amount of time in which damage may occur, to delicate surfaces resulting from concentration of harmful volatile material fumes.